Sad songs actually make you happier

By Sandy Carsley, May 9, 2017

If you’ve had your heart broken and you need a good cry, then you’ve got to listen to a sad song. But really. And not just for the dramatic effect of it. It can actually make you happier. It may seem ironic that doubling the sadness around us can help us feel better, and your friends will probably tell you to suck it up or go on a run, but little do they know, science has found another way to deal with heartbreak that does, in fact, encourage staying home in bed.

According to researchers in a study published by Scientific Reports, having a good cry as you listen to sad songs can lead you to experience more pleasurable feelings and be calmer after. This is because it triggers positive memories that can help change our moods. Who knew that Adele provided therapy too?

This hypothesis was tested in a study that requested participants to answer a survey about how they reacted while hearing different types of music. They listened to six different songs, three of which they were able to choose. They were required to record how often they experienced shivers through their spine, felt goose bumps, felt like crying or felt a lump in their throats. The participants were then split up into groups by the researchers, one for those who felt chills and one for those who cried of sadness.

By monitoring the emotional state of the participants, as well as physical signs that they were experiencing pleasure, and heart rates researchers were able to conclude that tears of sadness can, in fact, be very calming. They discovered that tears of sadness release a form of physical tension and cause feelings pleasure that can relieve stress. So if you’ve got a broken heart, cry your eyes out all the way to happiness. Start matching up your songs to your mood. We’ve all been there and you’ve got nothing to lose.

However, the research showed that sad movies only worsened the feelings. Therefore you better stick to sad songs. And in terms of that friend who told you to go on a run, this can help too, especially if you blast some Adele at the same time. Consider your tears as eye sweat.